Departure
Departure is the second chapter of Season Three, as well as the forty-ninth chapter of the series as a whole. Synopsis Following their departure from the Hidden Leaf, Team Kakashi make a steady pace for the Village Hidden in the Rain in order to find Orochimaru's men. While Naruto and Sakura discuss Sasuke, Kakashi is silent, and Matt is pondering what will happen if and when they do finally find Sasuke. When Matt asks where they are going, Kakashi says that they will search the area around the village for signs of their target, and if they don't find anything, they will head northwest towards their destination, the Hidden Sound Village]]. Matt then asks why they don't ask the Hidden Rain for assistance, and Kakashi states that the Rain Village doesn't like to work with other villages. He explains that the village was used as a battleground during the Great Shinobi World Wars, and was left in ruins as a result. Eventually, the group comes within sight of the Hidden Rain Village, and as they admire it, they are met by a team led by Amemaru. Amemaru asks why they have come to the Rain, and when Kakashi explains their presence, asking Amemaru if they have seen anything at the same time, Amemaru says that they don't know anything. He permits them to continue their search, but states that he and his team will accompany them. Kakashi complies, and the seven of them move onward. Eventually, Kakashi stops the group again, stating that they will team up. He then uses the Summoning Jutsu to bring out a herd of ninja hounds to aid them. Kakashi splits his team as well as the hounds up into many different teams, causing Amemaru to state that they must obtain more men in order to escort the larger group. Kakashi explains that this is unnecessary, and Amemaru is instantly angered, accusing the Hidden Leaf ninja of wanting to divide them up to make it easier to attack the Hidden Rain. Matt speaks up, but Kakashi stops him, and uses an unnamed genjutsu to send Amemaru and his men away. Team Kakashi then splits up, aided by the help of Kakashi's ninja hounds, and they search the area around the Hidden Rain for signs of Sasuke. Matt, becoming exhausted from traveling so much, decides to rest in a river bed, but is interrupted by Sakura. Forced to continue searching, he comes to a cave and must now search its entire interior. Facing several trials and finding nothing, Matt leaves the cave and comes to another one, finally finding a group of men. Matt signals the rest of the group without being seen, and just as he is about to begin reconnaissance on the group, he is attacked. Blown off the cliff in a large explosion, Matt comes to the mouth of the cave and is spotted by Orochimaru's men, who immediately flee. Matt looks up to see Amemaru having brought reinforcements, declaring him under arrest for conspiring against the Hidden Rain Village. Category:Chapter